Functional Craft ideas -pls help!

[Siva]

I've been trying to come up with x-mas and bday ideas for friends and family that I can make or embroidery/cross stitch, but I want to make something functional. Pretty much everyone I know has recieved at least one tea towel from me something else pretty and deorative. This year I want to make something they can use and enjoy instead of just looking at, and I was hoping everyone here might have some awesome ideas I haven't thought of. So far I've come up with purses, pillows (to close to being decorative), and aprons. I also wanted something that I could make for a guy, probably my grandpa and dad. Thanks in advance!

[Eliste]

Potholders, oven mitts, coasters.

Depending on how much you want to spend there are tons of ways to put your embroidery in something like a box, a pocket mirror, stools, etc. You can see various types of things like this on sewandso.co.uk. Even if you don't order from them, they're good for ideas.

[blackberrybear]

Maybe work with plastic canves and do something like a checkbook cover or small box. There are some acrylic ideas here:
http://yarntree.com/cross-stitch/index. ... tah79chgf4

[EveningEmma]

Handkerchiefs are a good one, if anyone you know uses them. I embroidered some for my dad a couple of Christmasses ago.

[katdun]

A lot of craft stores sell things like mugs and keychains and stuff like that that are made to insert photos into. You could always stitch something and put it into one of those! That's what I did for most of my gifts last year, plus you can always keep the measurements and stitch new inserts for a future gift!

[Ally]

I recently started using plastic canvas and can't stop making keychains and magnets, and other little things like that. I think for functional cross stitched stuff plastic canvas is excellent!